Chat-separator for concentrating-jigs.



A. P. STA NDEFER. CHAT SEPARATOR FOR CONCENTRATING JIGS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5. I9I5.

Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1' I j APSTANDEF R COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPII 60.,WASH1NQTON. n. c.

A. P. STANDEFER. CHAT SEPARATOR FOR CONCENTRATING JIGS.

APPUCATION FILED JUNE 5. 1915.

COLUMBIA PLANonRAPH c0.. WASHINGTON. D c.

Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Beiit known that I, ALVIN cnAnsErAnAron-Fon concnmnarine-Jies. r

Specification of Letters'lEatent. Patented N 30,1915;

est eme we 5, 21: ei un- 2:3 .5.-

isa specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to theseparation of valuable inetals'frcm gangue and refuse by Washin and particularly to that method of separation requiring the use of or corn centrating and separating cells and screens coacting with the cells over which thepulverized ore gradually passes and through Which the particles of precious metals drop. In this mode of separating ore by washing, the ore ground up fine as it is taken from the mine and then passed through a'screen of suitable mesh so as tocause the mass of ore to be composed of uniform particles; "The screened product is afterward carried to the jigs for concentration and sep aration. These jigs consist of a series of tanks or cells from five to ten feet in depth and provided ith a grating or screen about eighteen inchesfrom the top of each tank. The tank or cell is filled with Water to a little above the grating. A plunger is used for the purpose of forcing the Water up and down through the screen from beneath. Thisipulsation of the water has a tendency to lift all the pulverized rock and ore from the face of the screen and agitate the same, and as this pulverized rock settles back, valuable metal being the heaviest drops to the bottom and the refuse is carried by the force of the running ater from the upper end ofthe screen t othe lo ver end thereof and on over to the next cell, each cell being arranged a little lower than the one above. Finally the refuse material contained upon the screen of the lastcell'isidischarged upon the' dump. i

' The actionofthe Water on the crushed o re carriedby the screens causes the'mate'rial on each screen to arrange itself in thf'e'more' r less distinct layers, the bottom layer being the free ore, the nei it being the chats, that is, rock jand o-re' in small particles; but not pre se i i i f wi' s efa Th ton es e ii ir s s andd 'r iqe a ine as r g w ee -t s gepr inaya;am? a S. Tet was. tlis eatirhi poses the middle layer are carried onover the'screensof'the several cells or tanksfand discharged on the refusepile and thus a relatively large amount of precious metal is lost in this Way. 7

means to separatethe chats from the gangueso' that the chats maybe re ground and again "'v vashed, thus saving large am'q it pur o f TA further object of the invention is the The general object ofthis invention is to provisioniofa chat separator Which'may be 7 readily applied to thescreens noW in use 1ntheseveral cells or jigs, which is so formed as to catch the middle layer of ore or chats and dis'charge it separate from the tailings or gangue.

'A further object is toprovide a chat. separator which will not clog and will not v drain thebed of free 'orefand afurther object is to so "c onstructith'e't chatter or separator that the force of the pulsing vvaterfwill be delivered to the interior of the chatter or separator andiprev'ent the lighter rock not containing ore from entering the chatter but permitting the heavier rock to pass into the chatter. through certain intake slots and be eventually discharged, l further object of, the invention is to so construct the separatoror chatter that the pulsation of the ivater Within the chatter Will maintain the leyel'of the ore bed undisturbed on the screen, but cause the lighter part or chats to pass into the interior of the chatter at each pulsation of the ig, this same pulsation of the Water being used to carry the chats through'tlie discharge 'openings'to the outside of the'jig T his saves the chats that are otherwise I discharged With the tailings, without; oWev'er', draining the bed of f ieb t re n Afurther object of the invention is to provide a, separator or chatter a very simple construction, which be easily made, easily repaired, easily put iii place Without undue change in separating jigs already use; i and to jproyiasmeans 1 for regulating the size "of the intake openings the chatter and also v pifovi'de means for controlling the exit openings through vvliich the chats collected by iecha te iar jeii i e s r edv 'fi 1 7 rtli i'q iew 'i t i tenti i to PI a a a ter f f h 12 WitH iM e t een,

the degree of compression of air Within the chatter, caused by the upward surging of water through the screen of the jig, may be regulated.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

' Myinvention is illustrated in the accom thereto; Fig. 2 is a transverse section of Fig.

ig. 3 is a longitudinal section of a portion of the separator; Fig. 4 is an end View thereof; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the separator looking toward the underside. Fig. 6 is an enlarged section of the forward upper portion of a cellshowing my improved separator applie'd'thereto. In Fig. l I show a series of tanks or cells designated 2, each separated from each other by partitions 3, and each designed to contain water, each of the cells having the usual depth and width. The bottom 4- of each cell is inclined upwardla'nd outward, as shown in Fig. 2, and disposed at oneside of each cell is a plunger 6 moving between th side wall of the cell and a vertical dependingpartition 7, this plunger being op erated by any'suitable means, as for instarce, an eccentric 8 mounted upon a line shaft 9. This line shaft'9 extends along the entire battery of cells :and there is one of these plungers 6 in conjunction with each cell. The reciprocation of the plunger causes the pulsation of the water in thecell. Disposed between the depending partition or support 7 and the wall 10 of the tank or cell is a screen 11, this screen having a suitable mesh and being disposed slightly below the level of the water in the tank. The screens-of the severaltanks or cells are disposed in stepped relation and the level of the water in the several cells is successively lower. as shown clearly in Fig. ,1.

With this construction the crushed ore is fed into the first cell or tank of the series upon thescreen thereof, .and the reciprocation of the plungers causes the water to pulsate upwardthrough the screen and down again. At the same time the, ore travels from the head end of the screen toward the foot thereof and passes onto the screen in the next tank or cellof the series. The pulsation of the water causes the crushed ore to arrange itself in a plurality of layers, as shown clearly in Fig. 6, these layers being respectively lettered A, B and C. The layer A designates the heavierparticles of ore which have become separated from the gangue and which arrange themselves adjacent the'screen and eventually pass through the screen and fall to the bottom of the cell. This concentrate gathered in the bottom of the cell may be removed therefrom," from time to time, through suitable discharge openings. The next successive layer B consists of the chats, that is, particles of pure ore which have not become detached from the gangue and which are therefore, relativelyspeaking, notso heavy as the particles of stratum A. The stratum C consists of refuse and gangue. The chats contain a v large percentage of pure ore which is orditop wall is firmly attached to or formed integral with the side walls 13 and let. The body 12 is open upon its under face and rests upon the screen. 11. The front wall 13 is formed with a plurality of longitudinally extending slots '16 which are disposed above the lower edge of the wall 13. Theseparator or chatter has a length greater than the Width of a cell inwhich is placed so that it projects out through the side walllO of the cell in the manner shown in Fig. 2 and so as to discharge into a trough or receptacle 17. That portion of the separator or chatter which intersects the wall 10 is solid,

being formed with a plurality of passages 18 for the chats. Formed at the outer ends of these passages are a plurality of vertical gate openings'lQ in which the gates 20 are adapted to mo e. These gates 20 are in the form of solid blocks, and extending upward from tate the discharge of the chats through the passages 18 and by'the gates 20.

The adjustable gate or gates, disposed at I the discharge end of the chatter, are a very important feature of my inventicn. The primary object of these gates is to control the pressure within the chamber or several chambers of the chatter. Each of the dis charge gates is so regulated as to impede, to a greater or less degree, the outward rush of the water within the chatter upon the downward movement of the piston of the jig so as to cause an outward pressure of water at the ore inlet openings of the chatter which will cause the lighter particles of ore resting upon the screen to be carried away from the inlet openings, so that on the refluent action of the water due to the upward movement of the piston, the heavier particles of ore will be drawn inward. The discharge openings, that is the discharge thest opened for the chamber 28.

gates, are regulated according to the richness of the ore-being run and according to the condition of the dirt on the screen, and at times when the dirt upon the screen is uneven, one or more of the channels of the chatter are entirely or partially closed until the dirt on the screen is evened up. The gates must be also regulated, according to the pressure of water produced by the plunger or piston of the jig and accord ng to the richness of the ore passing over the screen or disposed at different points on the screen. The lower the gates are, the greater will be the pressure of water within the chatter, and the higher the gates, the less pressure will be exerted upon the water. This pressure is caused by the air trapped in the upper portion of the chatter and unable to escape through the discharge openings upon an upward su ging of the water within the hutch. It is also to be noted, from Fig. 4, that the gates are adjusted in proportion to the size, of the several chambers 25, 26, 27 and 28. Thus, inasmuch as. the chamber 25 is the largest of these chambers, the gate 20, therefore, is almost entirely closed, while the gate is still farther open for the chamber 6, still farther open for the chamber 24, and far- As the gates are arranged in Fig. 4, the pressure is equalized within all of the chambers. As before observed, however, it may not be desirable to so equalize this pressure if the ore on the screen has a different richness or differs in richness or is uneven.

The front wall 13 ofthe chatter, as before stated, is formed with a plurality of slots 16. In the illustration there are four of these slots, the slots having a uniform length. Disposed within the hollow body of the chatter are a plurality'of partitions or walls 24. Each of these walls extends inward at right angles to the wall 13 and then extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of the chatter and merges into the solid portion 18 The exterior walls of the chatter body and these interior partitions 24 define a plurality of passages 25, 26, 27 and 28 which open into the passages 18 which form extensions of these passages 25, 26, 27 and 28, and into these several passages 25, 26, 27 and 28 open the several slots 16. Preferably the width of each slot is regulated by means of plates 29, these plates being vertically slotted as at 30 for the passage of bolts 31. These plates may be disposed either on the inside or outside of the wall for convenience in adjusting.

It is again noted that the under face of the chatter body is entirely open and that the side walls 13 and 14 rest upon the screen 11. Thus the several passages 25, 26, 27 and 28 are open through the screen and through the front of the chatter by means of the slots 16 but these passages 25, 26, 27 and28 are otherwise entirely closed.-. It wi i' llalso be seen that each separator or chatter is disptsed below the upper edge of the corresponding tank or cell so that the water, together with the tailings or gangue, may flow over the upper surface of the chatter and into the next cell, and so on through the series of cells.

It will be noted from Fig. 1 that the slots 16 are arranged to face the upper end of the cell in which the separator is placed, and that these slots are so disposed that they will be on a level with the m ddle of the layer B of chats.- As the plungers 6 reciprocate, the water in the tank or cell will pulsate up through the screen and will pulsate up through the chatter in exactly the same manner as through the remainder of the screen. The pulsation of the water through the screen extending across the bottom of the chatter compresses the air within the chatter and drives the water out through the slots with considerable force. This prevents the lighter rock not containing ore from coming into the chatter, but upon the refluent action of the water the heavier parc ticles are drawn into the slots and drawn or forced along the passages or channels 25, 26, 27 and 28 as the case may be, and carried outward and discharged through the openings 18. I

The chatter cannot clog on account of the pressure of the water underneath coming up through the screen and making a pressure within the chatter which forces all the lighter material back from the slots and permits entrance through the slots of only those particles of combined rock andore which are sufficiently heavy to overcome the pressure in and behind the slots. The purpose of forming the separate channels or passages 25, 26, 27 and 28 is to prevent the chatter from becoming clogged. Thus the lighter material or gangue is prevented from passing through the channels of the chatter but the heavier material including rock and ore, which, however, is too light to settle down to the stratum A and pass through the screen, finds its way into the openings of the chatter through the channels is deposited. The free rock, dirt and foreign matter which forms the upper stratum and which is of course the lightest, is kept on top of the chat layer by the force of the water passing upward through the body of the screen and is gradually carried on to the next lower cell over the top of the chatter. Again emphasis must be laid upon the fact that the body of the chatter is entirely closed except for the intake openings, the outlet passages, and the screened bottom. Thus the pulsation of the water within the chatter causes an increase of pressure within the chatte'r'at "each pulsation and this pressure finds an :;:outlet through-stheintake openings and is carried out of the pg where it of the chatter and forces the lighter sand and tailings upward, allowing the chatter to gather only the heavier pieces of rock which contain particles of ore, these being drawn into the chatter by the refluence of the water.

It has been common to bore holes in the side of the jig cell or tank to take off the chats, but it has been found in practice that these act to drain the bed of free ore and also clog up very rapidly and very tightly. My chatter cannot clog on account of the pressure of water underneath coming up through the screen, and it has been found in practice that it does not drain or in any way disturb the bed or stratum of free ore.

While I have illustrated a certain definite form of my invention which I have found to be thoroughly effective in practice and which is cheap to construct and may be easily applied, yet I do not wish to be limited tothis as it is obvious that the construction of the chatter itself may be changed in many ways. It may be made of wood, though preferably it is made of metal, and it may be formed in a plurality of pieces or sections attached to each other in any suitable way, as by riveting or bolting, but preferably the body of the chatter with the partitions defining the several channels is cast in one piece. This casting may be readily made on account of the fact that the chatter is entirely open along its under face.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a concentrating the combination with an ore supporting screen, means for causing the pulsation of water upward through the screen, and means for causing a general movement in one direction of the ore, of a chamber disposed above the screen and having an ore inlet opening disposed above and in spaced relation to the screen and confronting the direction from which the ore is moving, and means actuated by and upon the upward surging of water through the screen for causing a pressure within the chamber greater thanthe pressure exterior to the chamber to thereby prevent the influx of relatively light particles of ore into the ore inlet opening.

2. In a concentrating jig the combination with an ore supporting screen and means for causing the surging of water upward through the screen, of a chamber supported above the screen and open at its bottom toward the screen,one wall of the chamber being formed with an ore inlet opening extending parallel to the screen, and means for intermittently causing upon the upward surging of water through the screen, the ejection of water from the interior of the chamber through the ore inlet'opening at a pressure greater than the pressure of water ezgterior tothejchamber; and su f cient to prevent the influx of relatively light particles of ore into the inlet opening.

3. In an ore jig, a tank containing liquid, a screen disposed below the level of liquid in the tank, and a chats separator comprising a hollow body having a top wall and depending side walls, the under face of the body being entirely open, one end of the body being closed and the other end provided with a discharge opening, that side face of the body confronting the inlet end of the tank being formed with a plurality of longitudinally extending slits spaced above the bottom of the body, the hollow body being formed to provide an air space above the inlet slits, the discharge end of the body being provided with a gate for controlling the passage of ore therethrough and for controlling the pressure of air within the body.

4. In an ore jig, a tank for containing liquid, a screen disposed therein, means for causing pulsations of the liquid in the tank to thereby cause the liquid to be intermittently forced upward through the screen, and a chats separator disposed upon the screen at the outlet end of the tank comprising a hollow body entirely open on its under face for the full width of the screen, said body having intake openings on the side face confronting the inlet end of the tank, the interior of the body being divided into a plurality of channels, each inlet opening eX- tending into one of said channels, said channels extendingto and discharging at one end of the body.

5. A chats separator for concentrating igs comprising a hollow body open on its under face, closed at one end and open at the other end for the discharge of chats, said body having inlet openings along one side wall spaced from the bottom edge of the wall, the body being formed to provide an air space above the inlet openings and means for controlling the area of the opening at the discharge end of the body whereby to impede to a greater or less degree the outward passage of water from the separator and thereby control the pressure of air within the separator.

6. A separator of the character described comprising ahollow body rectangular in cross-section, said body being open upon its under face, one of the sidewalls of the body being formed with a plurality of longitudinally extending slots forming ore intake openings, the body being formed to provide an air space above the inlet openings, the other side wall and one end wall being imperforate, the opposite end wall being formed with a discharge opening, and a gate movable across said discharge open ing through the top wall of the body to thereby "regulate the area of the discharge opening of, the, separator and impede to a greater or less degree the passage of water through the separator and thus control the pressure of air exerted upon the water.

7 A separator of the character described adapted to be used with concentrating jigs comprising a hollow body and closed at one end, the opposite end of the body having a transversely extending web having discharge passages, the body being open upon its under side between the first-named end wall and said web angl being open on its under side beyond the web, and adjustable gates for controlling the passage of sepa-- rated material over said web, one of the side walls of the body being provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending slots.

8. A separator of the character described adapted to be used with concentrating jigs comprising a hollow body rectangular in cross section and closed at one end, the opposite end of the body having a transversely extending web, the body being open upon its under side between the first-named end wall and said web and being open on its under side beyond the web, and adjustable gates for controlling the passage of sepa rated material over said web, one of the side walls of the body being provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending slots, the interior of the body being formed with a plurality of vertically extending partitions defining a plurality of passages into each of which one of said slots opens, said passages extending to the discharge end of the body and through said web.

9'. A separator for concentrating jigs comprising a hollow body open on its underside for the greater portion of its length and closed at its opposite ends, the interior of the body being divided into a plurality of assages, each passage extending longitudinally of the body, and all of said passages opening toward the front wall of the body, said front wall being provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending intake slots opening each into one of said passages, the extreme ends of said passages away from the intake slots discharging downward,'adjustable gates controlling the discharge of material from said passages, and means for controlling the size of the inlet openings.

10. In a separator of the character described, a screen adapted to receive crushed ore, means for causing liquid to surge upward through the screen whereby to cause stratification of the ore on the screen, and a. separator mounted upon the screen and comprising a body having a closed top and downwardly extending side walls, the bottom of the body being open, one side wall being formed with inlet openings and the body extending at one end beyond the screen and being provided with discharge openings, the interior of the body being provided with a plurality of parallel vertical walls defining approximately passages into which said slots'open, the other ends of said passages discharging through said discharge openings, and adjustable gates-controlling the passage of material" through said discharge openings.

1-1. In a concentrating jig thecombination with a screen and means for causing the surging of water upward through thescreen, of a chamber extending over the screen, the screen forming the bottom of the chamber, said chamber having; an ore inlet opening disposed above and spaced from the bottom of-thechamber to receive a certain stratum of ore from the screen being formed to pro-,

vide anair space above said inlet openings, and meansforcontrolling the pressure of air within the chamber caused by the surging of water upward through the screen.

12. In a concentrating jig the combination with a screen and means for causing the surging of water upward through the screen,

of a separating chamber extending over the I screen, the screen forming the bottom of the chamber, said chamber having an ore inlet opening disposed in its front wall in spaced relation to the lower edge of the chamber and thereby adapted to receive a certain stratum of ore resting upon the screen, the body being formed to provide an air space above the ore inlet opening, and adjustable means for controlling the pressure of air within the body caused by the surging of water upward through the screen.

13. In a concentrating jig the combination with a screen and means for causing the surging of water upward through the screen, of a chamber extending over the screen, the screen forming the bottom of the chamber, said chamber having an ore inlet opening in one wall disposed in spaced relation to the screen and thereby adapted to receive ore from a certain stratum resting upon the screen, said chamber being formed to provide an air space above the ore inlet opening and having an ore and water discharge opening and means for adjusting the area of said opening to thereby control the pressure of air within the chamber caused by the surging upward of the water.

14. In a concentrating jig the combination with a screen and means for causing the surging of water upward through the screen, of a separating chamber extending over the screen, the screen forming the bottom of the separating chamber, said chamber having a wall extending at right angles to the screen,

the wall being provided with a receiving opening spaced from the screen and thereby adapted to receive a certain stratum of ore upon the screen, the chamber being formed to provide an air space above the receiving opening and with an ore outlet opening adapted to permit the outlet of ore and water and a member adjustable to regulate the sizeof said opening to thereby control the pressure of air within the chamber.

15. In a concentrating jig the combination With a screen and means for causing the surging of water upward through the screen, of a separating chamber extending over the screen, the screen forming the bottom of the separating chamber, said chamber being divided by partitions into a plurality of longitudinally extending passages, each passage opening upon the face of the chamber, each opening being in spaced relation to the screen, each passage being formed to provide an air space above the opening'thereof, and means for independently controlling the pressure of air Within each of said passages.

16. In a concentratingjig, the combina- Copies bf this patent may be obtained for tion with a screen and means for causing the surging of water upward through the screen, of a chamber disposed above the screen and having an ore inlet opening disposed above and spacedfrom the bottom of the chamber, the chamber being formed to provide an air spaceabove the ore inlet opening, and controllable means for causing the compression of air within said chamber to thereby resist the influx of relatively light particles of ore into the inlet opening.

In testimony whereof I hereunto atlix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

ALVIN P. STAN DEFER. WVitnesses:

DUDLEY S. JACKSON, F E. MiLLNER.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

